PSU NEEDS THIS GAME SO BAD FOR MANY REASONS: FIRST BY BEATING THE 18TH RANKED GOFFERS IT WILL SEND PSU STOCK WAY UP MAYBE INTO THE TOP 15 IF SOME LOSS'S MOUNT THIS WEEKEND. SECONDLY PSU WIDEOUTS "THE FANTASTIC FOUR" ARE CREATING A STIRR AMONG THE RECRUITING CLASS BEHIND THEM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. SOME KIDS THAT NEVER CONSIDERED PSU WILL TAKE A SECOND LOOK!

It must be true if he is shouting the whole time.

If you remember back to my preseason review, I chose the NW game as the KEY game. I still stand by that. We have had a barrel of monkeys on our backs for half a decade.

Monkey1: Can't win on the road

Monkey2: Can't win a Big Ten Opener

Monkey3: Can't beat a ranked team

Monkey4: Can't beat Michigan

Monkey5: Can't beat Ohio State at Columbus

Well, we'll have to wait until next year for Monkey5. But two of the other little monkeys have fallen off the bed, as the win at Northwestern proved we can win on the road against a team other than Indiana, and we could win a Big Ten Opener. Even Michigan couldn't manage that this year.

All that stands between PSU and being ranked for the first time this century (millennium), is little monkey3. And that stinky little simian is going to hang onto our backs for dear life. What can we do?

I say, shoot the little bastard. Bury him, and bury the shovel.

This Saturday is PRETEND or CONTEND day. How bad does this team want to win? Forget getting back at them for 1999. That's ancient history. There have been too many embarassing losses since then. This is about now. Are we a top 20 team, or not? Are we? I said ARE WE?

WE ARE . . . PENN frickin' STATE!

This is not about whether MickyRooney or whatever his name is can run against us. This is not about the goophers being ranked ahead of us.

This is about us. This is about us not being ranked. This is about us not being respected anymore. This is about us being a 3 point dog in our own HOUSE. We must protect this house. (We must protect that football.)

So here are my KEYS to this HUGE game:

1. Score points. Preferrably early--put them out of their rhythm. As I noted yesterday, our recent games with Minny have not been about Minny scoring--they have been about our failure to score.

2. Stay Awake. For god-sakes, don't get bit by an on-sides kick, fake punt or hail Mary pass. It's not enough to just show up. PLAY. If you're going to lose--lose because you are beaten, not because you fell asleep or failed to show up.

3. PROTECT THE BALL. No turnovers. It's possible, although unlikely. But this should be a zero tolerance area. The goal should be NO turnovers. Period.

4. Create turnovers. The PSU defenses of old made things happen. Hit hard like the Smurfs. Strip that ball from Baloney, Marooony, whatever. Be the ball. May--make your future.